Voices of the dead and gone

Voices are so evocative﻿. In a way, they tell us more than pictures. I’ve been listening to audio tapes from family events to organize them for digitizing (a great pastime while the blizzard blows outside). Many are interviews with my Aunt Edie, a great talker who delighted in family details and loved to share her stories. Some are noisy with dinner sounds from the annual reunions the family still holds in England. I can easily pick out voices of dear relatives who have died. Just a snatch of conversation can bring images to mind of precious times I spent with them.

Got a pocket recorder handy for your family celebration this season? Audio recording can be easier and less intrusive than video. Don’t worry too much about background noise, just try to get close to the storytellers.